Means for releasably and adjustably connecting a rotatable pivot to a stationary pivot



Nov. 18, 1952 c IMHOF 2,618,452

MEANS FOR RELEASABLY AND ADJUSTABLY CONNECTING A ROTATABLB PIVOT TO ASTATIONARY PIVOT Filed May 15, 1950 Patented Nov. 18, 1952 MEANS FORRELEASABLY AND ADJUSTABLY CONNECTING A ROTATABLE PIVOT TO A STATIONARYPIVOT Charles Imhof, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Walter J. Currie,New York, N. Y.

Application May 15, 1950, Serial No. 162,015 In Switzerland November 24,1948 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a device for mounting upon a stationarypivot, releasably and so that it can be secured in any position, arotatably supported pivot which may extend transversely thereto.

According to the invention a housing is rotatably mounted on thestationary pivot; a cap or head-piece is so mounted on the housing as tobe rotatable about an axis transverse to that of the stationary pivot;in this head-piece a pivot is so mounted as to be rotatable about anaxis transverse to the axis of rotation of the headpiece; in the housingthere is a screw by means of which clamping pressure can be applied tothe stationary pivot to prevent the housing rotating about that pivot;and means are provided for transmitting the clamping pressure at thesame time to the rotatable pivot, and to the headpiece, therebypreventing the rotatable pivot from rotating relatively to thehead-piece, and preventing the head-piece from rotating relatively tothe housing.

The idea of the invention admits of being employed with particularadvantage on metal-working and wood-working Vises, more especially forwatch-makers, opticians and precision-tool workers.

One form of construction of the invention, as applied to a vise, isillustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2, respectively, show partly sectional side and frontviews of a vise and its mount, as indicated by the viewing lines I-I onFigure 2 and 2-2 on Figure l Figure 3 shows in perspective, and partlyin section, a detail of the apparatus; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the vise.

In the embodiment illustrated, the vise comprises a holder I, which canbe secured to a workbench by means of a screw spindle 2. The holder Ihas a horizontal bore 3, in which a stationary pivot 4 is non-rotatablyinserted. Upon the pivot 4 a housing 5 is rotatably mounted, in which adisc 6, acting as a pressure-piece, is slidable transversely to thepivot 4. By means of a screw 8, engaging in an internal thread in thelower end of the housing, clamping pressure can be exerted upon thestationary pivot 4, thereby preventing the housing rotating relativelythereto, through said pressure piece 6, which slides axially along thehousing, and is provided with a recess of cylindrical curvature in itsupper surface, in which the pivot 4 engages.

In the upper end of the housing a cap or headpiece ZEI is so mountedthat it can rotate about an axis perpendicular to that of the stationarypivot; and in the head-piece a pivot II is so mounted that it can rotateabout its axis, which is perpendicular to that of the head-piece. Acomposite pressure-piece consisting of a disc 9 slidable in the housingand a pin I0 extending into the head-piece 20, is interposed between thestationary pivot 4 and the rotatable pivot II, so that the clampingpressure is further transmitted to this pivot, thus preventing it fromrotating relatively to the head-piece. The pressure-piece 9 is providedwith a part-cylindrical recess in its under surface, into which thepivot 4 fits. The pin I0 is provided with a part-cylindrical recess inits top surface, into which the pivot I I fits. An external flange I8 atthe lower end of the headpiece 20 engages an internal flange I9 at theupper end of the housing 5, so that when the clamping pressure of thescrew 8 forces the pivot II upwards it tends to push the head-piece outof the housing, thus pressing the flange I8 against the flange I9, andpreventing rotation of the head-piece in relation to the housing. Hencewhatever is secured to the pivot I I can be swung completely around anyone of three different axes, and can be held fast in any desiredposition and orientation by simply tightening the screw 8.

In the constructional example illustrated, the pivot carries one jaw I2of a vise. To the other jaw I3 is rigidly connected a sleeve H, whichslides upon a pin I6 secured to the jaw I2. The jaw I3 is adjustedrelatively to the jaw I2 by means of a screw spindle I4, actuating asleeve nut I5 upon which the jaw I3 is mounted.

The heads of the screws 2, 8 and I4 may conveniently be made of the samedimensions, so that they can all be adjusted by means of one and thesame spanner.

A vise thus mounted may advantageously be employed as a Work-holder formilling, planing and boring machines and in other machine tools, as awork-piece once clamped in the vise can be machined on all sides withoutunclamping and reclamping, thus saving time and minimising indentationssuch as a vise is liable to make in the work.

Such a vise is also useful in setting-up, welding, riveting and otherwork in which two articles are required to be temporarily held in anydesired positions relatively to one another.

After loosening the screw 8, the vise, together with the rotatable pivotI I, can be readily withdrawn from the head-piece 20, and utilisedseparately as a screw clamp or a clamping device in any other operation,and the supporting housing 5, together with the head-piece andpressurepieces, can be readily withdrawn from the stationary pivot 4,which is permanently secured to the holder I; and the housing andhead-piece, with or without the vise, can be employed separately forcertain purposes and fitted to any machine.

I claim:

A bracket for supporting an article for angular adjustment about threeaxes, said bracket comprising a housing mounted so as to becapable ofrotation on a stationary pivot securable to a supporting structure, ahead piece mounted so as to be capable of rotation in the housing, thehead piece being formed with a transverse cylindrical aperture for theaccommodation of a rotatable pivot projecting from the article to besupported, means such as a clamping screw and two pressure pieces in theform of discs slidable in the housing, the discs being co-axial with theclamping screw and formed with transverse hollows ofcylindrical-curvature to engage :the cylindrical surfaceof thestationary vpivot for clamping thev housing in any desired angularposition into which ,it may. be turned about the stationary pivot, a pinextending into the head piece and having one end incontact with onelof.said securingthe head piece against rotation in the ,.housing.

CHARLES IMHOF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Klorer Apr. 27, 1915 Asman Oct.- 26,1926 Graham Dec. 30, 1947 Carlson May 2, 1950 Number FOREIGN PATENTS 1'Country Date Number Great Britain Jan. 19, 1919

